Apparatus for stretching and straightening shoes



i June 14, 1949. F. F. VAN BEURDEN- 2,473,229

APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING' AND STRAIGHTENING SHOES Filed July 11, 1946 INVEN 70/? FHA {Va/sous EDEL/S WNBl-WADDV A 7'7'OHNEY By QM: Maw

Patented June 14, 1949 UNITED APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING AND STRAIGHTENING SHOES Franciscus Fidelis van Beurden, Amsterdam, Netherlands Application July 11, 1946, Serial No. 682,796 In Great Britain February'5, 1946 6 Claims. 1

The invention relates to an apparatus for stretching and straightening shoes. In this field, several appliances are already known, but they all have the disadvantage of resulting in the stretched shoe, if it is subjected to any considerable stretching, becoming badly misshaped, mainly because the side pieces have become loose. In a well known system, the loose heel and toe lasts, placed on a stand, are forced apart by means of an expander, and pressure is exercised against the underside of the shank of the shoe by means of a screw in order to prevent distortion of the curved line of the shank. The lasts move in guides and consequently the adjustment which they undergo and the pull which they exercise at the same time on the shoe are as great on the upper side of the last as on its lower side. Now, however, heavy and stiff sole leather offers much greater resistance to stretching than thin and pliable upper leather and side leather, which 9 later causes the looseness.

With the process according to the invention, this disadvantage is completely obviated.

According to the invention, the shoe, with the two lasts, is placed with the leg upwards on a stand and the expander is lowered to the shoe sole and screwed up a little and then the toe last, somewhat tilted through this screwing up, is again pressed down and the shank screw is screwed upwards, after which the shoe, stretched in this way, is allowed to settle, after which interval stretching and pressing are alternatively repeated, till the shoe has assumed the desired size.

An apparatus, with which this process can be carried out, is somewhat similar on broad lines to a well known apparatus. The latter has a stand with supporting surface for the shoe to be placed longitudinally thereon and a bridge piece located thereon at right angles, in which a screw spindle directed downwards is arranged, while a shank screw is directed upwards through the supporting surface.

According to the invention, the downward directed screw spindle presses, when the shoe is in position for stretching, on the upper side of the toe last applied therein, and the shank screw, passing obliquely through an opening in the support surface of the stand passes through a small block slidably mounted on the underside of the said support surface, which block acts as a fixed nut for the shank screw, and a second screw spindle is connected at the same time with this small sliding block, so that the small block can 2 be moved to and fro in guides, and shoes of different lengths can be dealt with.

Reference will be made to further characteristics of the apparatus in the description which follows.

One form of the apparatus constructed according to the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, on which:

Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of the apparatus (the section being taken on lines II of Fig. 2), and Figure 2 shows a plan ofv the apparatus.

The apparatus consists of a stand I with an obliquely placed support surface 2, on which two shoes 3 can be dealt with at the same time. The shoes to be stretched, in which a heel last l and a toe last 5 have already been arranged, are, with the leg part directed upwards, placed in such manner on a trolley 6 moving longitudinally over this support surface, that the upper surface of the toe last comes exactly under the roller ii arranged at the lower end of a screw spindle l. The screw spindle goes through a bridge piece a located at right angles on the support surface of the stand,

' while the roller moves in a longitudinal groove II] of a metal plate H resting on the last, whereby this roller is prevented from turning also when the screw spindle is turned and damage to the wood fibres of the last under pressure is prevented. The efiect of the roller 8 working together with the trolley 6 makes possible an easy movement of the front sole of the shoe during stretching. A guide plate [3, adjustable by means of a screw spindle l2 longitudinally to the stand and resting on the stand at right angles, can be placed against the rear end of the shoe. This guide plate makes it easy, when stretching the shoe, to always observe exactly how far one has progressed, for in this way a definite starting point is provided. Moreover the effect of this guide plate is that movement for lengthening the shoe can take place only towards the front.

If the toe of the shoe has to be stretched in width also, a toe last with the well known expanding device it arranged therein is used.

An expander I5 is now placed between the two lasts 4 and 5, the parallel legs of which move in a guide it and can be moved away from each other by means of a screw spindle H. The expander is lowered down to the sole of the shoe, and considering the space which the hand wheel of the stretching apparatus it requires-and always in the case of long shoes-it will be found necessary to. place a filling block it between the expander and the toe last. A screw spindle is can be pressed against the underside of the sole of the shoe, that is against the shank in a direction approximately at right angles to the shank surface. The screw I9 goes obliquely through a sliding block 20, which can be moved to and fro longitudinally by means of a second screw spindle 2i, in guides 22 along the underside of the support surface of the stand, for which purpose an opening 23 is arranged in this support surface. This shank screw movement is necessary, as shoes of different lengths and with different depths of heel can be dealt with on the same apparatus. The heel of the shoe rests on a block 24, the height of which agrees with the height of the trolley 6.

During the stretching of a shoe, the heel, specially in the case of ladies shoes, tends to tilt towards the toe of the shoe. This movement can be prevented, and if necessary, rectified, by an U-piece 2.5' and the hand wheel 26. The U-piece 25 grips round the heel of the shoe on the one hand and round. a fixed lug 21 of the supporting surfacaon the hand.

When a shoe has to be stretched considerably, there is great danger of the leather of the seat (upper half of the heel) being pressed out over the heel, whereby the shoe. is deformed. This danger is obviated by one or. more nails 28 with edge being driven into the underside of the heel last 4 which nail are, driven. temporarily into the heel, after the inner sole has been removed. If the last is of metal, these nails can be made in onepiece with it. from the. start. The heel last then cannot movein the shoe.

Procedure is now as follows;

The legs l5 of the expander are movedv apart by the screw spindle i1 till the parts arranged in the shoev are pressed against each other with a slight pressure and thus hold each other firm. The shoe is now Placed under the bridge piece 9 and made fast with screw spindle 1, after which, by means of screw spindle H, the guide plate is moved till it rests against the rear end of the shoe. Screw spindles I9 and. H are now turned till the rotary pressure knob of the screw is presses against the shank of the shoe sole.

The entire apparatus is now lightly tensioned and can no longer move. The two legs of the expander must now be screwed apart by the screw spindle H. The toe last 5 shows during this a tendency to move upwards, that is, out of the shoe; but this is obviated by screwing the screwing device I farther down, by which the toe last tilts back again. With this, it is also possible to regulate the shoe jump i. e. the distance from the extreme part of the point of the shoe to the walking surface (from 0 to 1.5 cm.). By this tilting back of the toe last the so-called closing of the side pieces of the shoe can be relaxed a little.

Owing to the fact that the tractive force is applied just on the upper part of the shoe sole of heavy and stiff leather, this sole is stretched first of all. The sole is thus given a tendency to stretch out fiat. This is prevented by tightening the shank screw 19, if necessary, till against the lower bend of the last 5. The thinner upper leather of the shoe, and mainly that of the two side parts, is naturally stretched likewise by the two lasts 4 and 5, which have moved away from each other, yet not disproportionately to the lengthening of the sole, as is the case with existing shoe stretching apparatuses, which, when much stretching is required, turn out shoes whose side pieces no longer close round the ankles, but sag.

After the shoe has been left standing stretched for some hours, during which the leather fibres have the chance to settle in their new state, the above mentioned stretching and pressin processes are repeated after intervals of some hours.

It is possible in this way to enlarge leather shoes up to three sizes, without the shoe losing its original model. Skiing shoes and football shoes also can be effectively enlarged in this way. In the case of feet which have one or more standing toes, so-called hammer toes, small local adjustments can be made in advance on the toe last.

It is advisable, if shoes which have already been worn for a considerable time have to be stretched, that these shoes should first be allowed to stand for a night provided with a wet inserted sole, and the whole being wrapped up in a wet cloth, in order to make the leather more pliable.

Durin the operation, stand behind the. apparatus (left, in the illustration). You then look down on the rising supportin surface of the stand and have a good view of what isbeing done and of how the shoe, which is placed with the leg turned upwards, i behaving. With most of the known appliances in this sphere, the shoe to be dealt with lies with the sole upwards so that sufficient control cannot be exercised on the upper leather of the shoe. If on shoe, of two belonging to a pair, is dealt with and the other is left against the guide plate l3, it is p0s- Sib c o jud e, by compa ng t two shoes, how far one has proceeded and whether the correct model is being maintained.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for enlarging shoes, consisting of a stand with supporting surface for the shoe to be placed thereon in a longitudinal direction, and of an expander by which the loose heel and toe lasts in the shoe are forced apart, and of a bridge piece at right angles to this supporting surface, in which a screw spindle directed down.- wards is arranged, while a shank screw directed upwards passes through the said supporting surface, so that the downwards directed screw spindle, when the shoe is in position for stretching, presses on the upper side of the toe last fitted therein and the shank screw, passing in oblique direction through a slotv in the supporting surface, passes through a small block slidable in a longitudinal direction along the under side of the said supporting surface, which block acts as a fixed nut for the shank screw, and a second screw spindle connected with said sliding block, and by which this block can be moved to and fro in guides 2. Apparatus for enlarging shoes, consisting of a stand with supporting surface for the shoe to be placed thereon in. a. longitudinal direction and of an expander by which the loose heel and toe lasts in the shoe are forced apart, andof a bridge piece at right anglesto this supporting surface, in which a screw spindle with a roller arranged on the lower end of it is directed downwards,

which roller runs in a groove in a metal plate fitted to the upper side of the toe last in the shoe and of a trolleyon which the shoe to be dealt with rests, while a shank screw directed. upwards passes in an oblique direction through. a small block slidable in a longitudinal direction along the under side of the supporting, surface and through a slot in it.

3. Apparatus for enlarging shoes, consisting of a stand with supporting surface for the shoe to be placed thereon in a longitudinal direction, and of an expander by which the loose heel and toe lasts in the shoe are forced apart, and of a bridge piece at right angles to this supporting surface, in which a screw spindle with a roller arranged on the lower end of it is directed downwards, which roller runs in a groove in a metal plate fitted to the upper side of the toe last in the shoe, and of a trolley moving on the supporting surface on which the shoe to be dealt with rests, and of a guide plate standing at right angles to the said supporting surface, which guide plate by means of a screw spindle can be moved to and fro longitudinally on the stand, while a shank screw directed upwards passes in an oblique direction through a small block slidable in a longitudinal direction along the under side of the supporting surface and through a slot in it.

4. Apparatus for enlarging shoes, consisting of a stand with supporting surface for the shoe to be placed thereon in a longitudinal direction, and of an expander by which the loose heel and toe lasts in the shoe are forced apart, said expander having two parallel legs which, by means of a screw spindle, can be moved relative to one another, and of a bridge piece at right angles to this supporting surface, in which a screw spindle with a roller arranged on the lower end of it is directed downwards, which roller runs in a groove in a metal plate fitted to the upper side of the toe last in the shoe, and of a trolley moving on the supporting surface on which the shoe to be dealt with rests, and of a guide plate standing at right angles to the said supporting surface, which guide plate by means of a screw spindle can be moved to and fro longitudinally on the stand, while a shank screw directed upwards passes in an oblique direction through a small block slidable in a longitudinal direction along the under side of the supporting surface and through a slot in it.

5. Apparatus for enlarging shoes, consisting of a stand with supporting surface for the shoe to be placed thereon in a longitudinal direction, and of an expander by which the loose heel and toe lasts in the shoe are forced apart, and of a bridge piece at right angles to this supporting surface,

in which a screw spindle with a roller arranged on the lower end of it is directed downwards, which roller runs in a groove in a metal plate fitted to the upper side of the toe last in the shoe, and of a trolley moving on the supporting surface on which the shoe to be dealt with rests, and of a guide plate standing at right angles to the said supporting surface, which guide plate by means of a screw spindle can be moved to and fro longitudinally on the stand, while a shank screw directed upwards passes in an oblique direction through a small block slidable in a longitudinal direction along the under side of the supporting surface and through a slot in it, and of an U-piece adjustable by a hand wheel and being arranged to grip on the one hand round the heel of the shoe and, on the other hand, round a fixed lug or stop on the supportin surface.

6. Apparatus for enlarging shoes, consisting of a stand with supporting surface for the shoe to be placed thereon in a longitudinal direction, and of an expander by which the loose heel and toe lasts in the shoe are forced apart, means temporarily interconnecting the heel last and the heel for obviating displacement of the heel last during the stretching process, and of a bridge piece at right angles to this supporting surface, in which a screw spindle with a roller arranged on the lower end of it is directed downwards, which roller runs in a groove in a metal plate fitted to the upper side of the toe last in the shoe, and of a trolley moving on the supporting surface on which the shoe to be dealt with rests, and of a guide plate standing at right angles to the said supporting surface, which guide plate by means of a screw spindle can be moved to and fro longitudinally on the stand, while a shank screw directed upwards passes in an oblique direction through a small block slidable in a longitudinal direction along the underside of the supporting surface and through a slot in it, and of an U-piece adjustable by a hand wheel and being arranged to grip on the one hand round the heel of the shoe, and on the other hand, round a fixed lug or stop on the supporting surface.

FRANCISCUS FIDELIS VAN BEURDEN.

No references cited. 

